Main Entrance, Enies Lobby.
A swirling gust of wind tore through the air, picking up speed as it approached the broken main gate of Enies Lobby. In the middle of the chaos, the wind touched down softly, and as it dispersed, four figures became visible—Zino, Chloris, Moris, and Robin.
Robin's eyes widened as she looked ahead. Her steps slowed, and her breath caught in her throat.
"This… this place…" she murmured, her voice trembling.
Zino glanced at her and nodded. "Yes. This is Enies Lobby."
He stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips as he looked toward the center of the island. "The World Government made a mistake. They provoked us by taking one of my crew. So now, we respond."
He pointed toward the unfolding chaos in the heart of the island.
Robin followed his gesture. Her eyes scanned the battlefield. Explosions echoed in the distance. Smoke rose from several points. She saw familiar faces among the storm.
Baral was sitting atop two massive, defeated giants—Oimo and Kashii—both of whom lay unconscious and unmoving.
Not far from there, thousands of marines were scattered across the grounds. Most were either unconscious or retreating. The few who remained standing were visibly trembling in fear as they looked at a small group of calm, composed Orcas—Nami, Nojiko, Mikita, Usopp, Stev, and Marianne—who stood confidently amidst the ruins.
Fighting still continued near the outer edges. The Franky Family, though bruised and bloodied, fought fiercely, determined to prove themselves by battling the last of the resisting marines.
"Look over there," Zino said, now pointing out toward the shoreline.
Robin turned and saw what he meant. Near the water's edge, outside the entrance to the island, Rob Lucci lay tied up tightly with rope and iron chains. He was pinned to the ground, clearly beaten and unconscious. A few Galley-La workers stood nearby, guarding him carefully.
"They… they caught him…" Robin muttered.
"No," Zino corrected her calmly. "I was the one who beat him senseless."
Robin's eyes turned to him in surprise.
"He deserved it," Zino continued. "How dare he kidnap you… threaten one of my own."
"But why?" Robin asked, her voice quiet. "Why go this far just for me?"
Zino looked her in the eyes, his voice firm. "Because you're one of the Orcas. You're my crew… my family. And no one is allowed to harm my family."
Robin's lips parted slightly, stunned. Her heart thudded. The weight of his words sank deep.
"The World Government… they'll come after you for this," she said after a long pause. "They won't let this go."
Zino didn't flinch. "So what?"
He turned to face the horizon, his coat fluttering behind him in the salty wind. "If protecting my family means becoming the World Government's enemy, then so be it. I will show them…"
He clenched his fists, his voice rising in strength.
"I. Am. Not. Afraid."
Robin stood silently, her expression frozen. Then, slowly, tears welled up in her eyes. She said nothing, but her body trembled as silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
Zino turned back to her, his expression softening. "Don't worry. Just place your trust in me."
He smiled gently.
Robin looked at him, her vision blurry from tears.
From the distance, the other Orcas saw them arrive. Nami's eyes lit up with joy.
"Robin!"
Nami and Kaya rushed over, their faces beaming.
"It's so good to see you safe!" Nami said, pulling her into a hug.
"We were really worried about you," Kaya added, smiling warmly.
Robin looked at their smiling faces. Her heart overflowed. For the first time… she knew she had found a true family.
On the side, Zino stood quietly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he observed Robin's emotional expression soften. A sense of relief washed over him. But he knew the battle wasn't over yet.
Turning his gaze toward the courthouse in the distance, Zino narrowed his eyes slightly. He closed them, activating his Observation Haki, projecting his awareness across the island to check on the situation.
In his perception, he clearly saw the unfolding clashes. Alvida, Zoro, Gin, and the others were battling CP9 atop the courthouse roof, each facing off against a formidable opponent. The momentum of the fight surged on different sides of the structure. Down below, Sanji was locked in a heated duel against Jabra. Binko stood nearby, on the staircase, watching the skirmish with a tensed expression, clearly itching to help despite his injury.
"Huh? Where are Hibari and Galdino?" Zino muttered, frowning.
He pushed his Haki even further, expanding it across the bridge to the Tower of Justice. Finally, he caught their presence.
Inside the tower, Hibari and Galdino were locked in a standstill against a tall, composed man. Every attempt they made to break through was halted. No matter how fast or tricky they were, the man effortlessly deflected them—sometimes with a simple step or wave of his hand—forcing them to retreat again and again.
"Who's that guy?" Zino narrowed his eyes. The man's aura was different. Calm, confident… yet overwhelming.
[He is your elder brother, Yohan.] came the calm voice of the System in his mind.
"…He's Yohan?" Zino's brows lifted. "Now that I look closely, he does resemble Mother a bit. But… why is he here?"
[Why don't you ask him yourself?] the System replied casually.
"Alright. I'll go ask." he said.
With that, he turned toward the courthouse again.
Clap!
A sharp crack of thunder echoed through the sky—and in a flash of light, Zino vanished from the entrance.
In the very next instant, he reappeared inside the courthouse, lightning crackling around his body as the static air buzzed. His boots clicked lightly against the floor as he walked forward, eyes casually sweeping across the room.
The sudden thunderclap interrupted the fight. Sanji and Jabra, both in mid-movement, paused and turned their attention toward the newcomer. Binko, still halfway down the staircase, looked up in surprise.
"Zino?" Binko called out, stunned. "What are you doing here?"
Zino just gave a casual wave of his hand. "Don't mind me. Just keep doing what you're doing."
And with another burst of lightning—ZAP—he vanished again, disappearing from view.
Jabra's eyes bulged. The man just turned into lightning. A Logia user?! His mind reeled. And not just any Logia—lightning. That's bad news. This guy… might be their strongest.
"My captain is checking things out," Sanji said calmly, glancing at Jabra with a confident smirk. "So I better wrap this up before he steals my spotlight."
Without wasting another second, Sanji dashed forward, his feet igniting as he ran in a circle around Jabra. At first, small flames sparked beneath each step. But as he built speed, the heat intensified, forming a ring of swirling fire that surrounded his opponent.
Jabra's expression darkened. He could feel the rising temperature. This wasn't just any kick—it was something more.
"Tch… You want serious?" he growled.
His body began to bulk up as his transformation advanced further. Muscles surged and his limbs lengthened. In seconds, he fully transformed into his hybrid human-wolf form—larger, faster, and far more dangerous.
Meanwhile, high atop the courthouse roof, the intense clashes between the Orcas and CP9 raged on. Blades clashed, and the rooftop trembled beneath the weight of their power.
Suddenly—crack!
A burst of lightning flashed above, and from it, Zino appeared in a streak of energy. His arrival was sudden, yet carried a calm presence that interrupted the chaos for a brief moment.
Zoro and Kaku, their swords locked, paused just as they were pushing each other back. Sparks flicked from the grinding blades.
Gin had just sent Fukurou flying with a powerful kick, the round man bouncing off a wall with a grunt. He blinked when he saw the flash of lightning.
On the other end of the roof, Kalifa lunged at Alvida, thrusting her Shigan forward. But as her finger met Alvida's skin, it simply skidded harmlessly along the surface—her Smooth Smooth Fruit ability rendered the attack ineffective. Alvida didn't even flinch. She merely turned her head to glance at the lightning user.
Near a swirling tear in space, Friday peeked his head through a small rift. "Captain? You here?"
Zino nodded casually, his coat flapping from the leftover surge of energy in the air. "Just checking around," he said. "Don't mind me. Go on—finish your fights. The sooner the better."
Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared once again in a flash of light, streaking toward the Tower of Justice.
The Orcas all watched the disappearing trail for a moment, then turned back to their opponents. Their eyes sharpened.
"It's time to end this," Zoro muttered, tightening his grip on his swords.
Gin spun his tonfas.
Alvida raised her mace with a calm, confident smile.
Friday entered back into the space tear.
And the rooftop was once again filled with the sound of battle.
…
Far below, deep within the underground tunnel that led toward the Bridge of Hesitation transit line, Hibari and Galdino were still engaged in a difficult fight.
Thud!
Galdino, despite his logia-like Special Wax powers, he was still struck clean in the stomach. Yohan's coated leg had moved with shocking speed, bypassing Galdino's hardened wax shield. The blow lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing back into a stack of wooden crates.
Boom!
"Tch—this guy…" Galdino muttered, coughing.
Yohan didn't even move from his position. He simply flicked his fingers forward.
"Tobu Shigan: Mitsubachi."
Three invisible bullets of air, shaped like piercing stings, shot from Yohan's fingertips.
Hibari saw them, but only managed to dodge one. The other two slammed into his torso and chest with devastating precision. He stumbled, blood flying from his mouth.
Still calm, Yohan said, "I told you two to calm down. I just wanted to talk."
Hibari wiped the blood from his lips and stood again, holding his sniper rifle like a staff for support.
Galdino groaned as he pulled himself out from the crates. "Talk…? After kicking us around?"
Yohan smiled slightly. "You're standing. That means we can talk now."
Hibari narrowed his eyes. "…Fine. What do you want to say?"
"Are you two members of the Orca Pirates?" Yohan asked.
Galdino hesitated, then replied, "What if we are?"
"So it's true…" Yohan nodded slowly. "How is my brother?"
"Your brother?" Hibari raised an eyebrow.
"Who's your brother?"
"Monkey D. Zino," Yohan answered calmly. "He's your captain, isn't he?"
The mention of Zino's name caused Hibari and Galdino to glance at each other, clearly surprised.
"…You're Zino's brother?" Galdino asked, now wary.
"That's right." Yohan nodded, both hands resting casually in his pockets. "Now… I'd like to know what kind of man he's become."
Just as he finished speaking, his expression shifted slightly in surprise. His sharp eyes flickered as if sensing something.
"Oh? My brother's here," he muttered, a small grin forming on his face.
Crackle!
Suddenly, a streak of lightning lit up the tunnel. The electric current surged in, and in the blink of an eye, it reformed into a figure—Zino. Sparks crackled briefly around him before dissipating as his body fully solidified from its lightning form.
"Yohan…" Zino said, his voice unsure, eyes scanning his older brother.
"Yo, brother." Yohan smiled warmly, his eyes gleaming with familiarity. "Long time no see. How have you been?"
On the side, Hibari and Galdino stood quietly, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. They exchanged a glance, now fully convinced—this man was definitely Zino's real brother. No wonder he had such ridiculous strength. The resemblance wasn't just physical, it was spiritual.
Zino took a deep breath. "Mother's been looking for you. Have you seen her?"
"I did," Yohan nodded. "That's actually how I knew you might show up here. She gave me a good earful."
Then, with a small grunt, he added, "She's been nagging me nonstop to come out here and keep you safe."
Zino blinked. "Wait… she told you to protect me?"
Yohan sighed. "You know her. Mother doesn't take no for an answer. I swear, that old lady hasn't changed one bit."
Zino chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. He can imagine her mother giving some earful advise to Yohan.
"She's terrifying, is what she is." Yohan sighed deeply. "Sometimes I wonder how Father managed to survive living with her for so long."
Zino sweatdropped. You know she's our mother, right…? He said silently in his mind.
"Anyway. That aside," Yohan shrugged. "How did you end up becoming a pirate?"
Zino's expression turned a bit dry. "Because the Marines turned me into one."
"Hm?" Yohan tilted his head slightly.
"Some corrupted officers framed me," Zino explained calmly. "They placed a bounty on my head, branded me a criminal… all because I got in their way. So yeah, now I'm a pirate."
"Tch." Yohan's smile faded, his eyes narrowing as his tone chilled. "Who had the guts to mark my little brother like that?"
He turned slightly, as if already planning to find whoever was responsible.
"I'll make sure they paid dearly for messing up with my family."